Tyler Shough gave the New Orleans Saints a glimpse of a better version of their offense on Sunday, and it came with his legs.
In a 35-27 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Saints once led 27-16, and Shough’s only rushing attempt of the day turned into the kind of play that can change the shape of a game. He kept it himself for 36 yards, a burst that exposed a gap in the Raiders’ defense and helped New Orleans move across midfield on his own.
That run came with just under six minutes left in the first quarter, when Shough stepped up in the pocket and found open space. Whether that was on linebacker Quay Walker for vacating that side of the field or on the defensive coordinator for the call, the result was the same: Shough took advantage and gave the Saints a jolt.
His legs ended up being the spark that got the offense rolling. New Orleans went on to score its first touchdown in the first quarter all season.
After that, Shough leaned heavily on the passing game, throwing 42 times. With only one rush to pair with those attempts, the Saints may have left one of their best tools sitting on the shelf.
That’s not exactly a new theme. Shough’s ability to create with his legs has already shown up before, including last week when he had the go-ahead QB sneak against the Ravens.
The article also points back to his rookie season last year, when he pushed the team to wins with his running ability rather than his arm. A quarterback who can beat defenses both ways is a rare thing, and New Orleans looked like a team that could have used more of that Sunday.
By the time Shough ran again, the moment had already become too obvious. On fourth-and-one, with receivers sent deep on a dropback, everybody in the stadium knew what was coming. That made it easy for the Raiders to key on him with a spy.
There’s always a tradeoff when a quarterback runs more, since the injury risk climbs with the usage. But the upside is clear too, and the Saints have reason to keep exploring it. Rollouts, bootlegs, even a few designed runs from Kellen Moore could all help turn Shough’s legs into a more regular part of the offense instead of a one-time changeup.
New Orleans gets its next shot to do that on the national stage, with the Atlanta Falcons coming to town for Week 4’s Monday Night Football game. If the Saints can find a way to get Shough moving on the ground even a little more often, it could make for a much more dangerous offense.
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